Saudi Arabia condemns deadly Iranian attack on tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia has condemned an Iranian attack on an oil tanker owned by its national shipping company that killed two Filipino crew members in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Iran targeted the Sidr tanker, owned by national carrier Bahri, while it was passing through the strategic waterway two days earlier. The ministry called for an end to escalation and respect for maritime safety and the security of global energy supplies.

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The kingdom stressed the necessity of halting escalations, and respecting international maritime safety and the security of global energy supplies.

Saudi Arabia's regional neighbors also denounced the incident. Kuwait and Qatar said the attack violated international law and freedom of maritime navigation. Qatar called it a "flagrant violation of the rules of international law and freedom of maritime navigation" and rejected the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a "bargaining chip".

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flagrant violation of the rules of international law and freedom of maritime navigation

Bahri confirmed the death in a social media statement, saying the Sidr had been involved in a security incident while transiting the strait late on Monday. The company said it remained in contact with the vessel and was coordinating with authorities and maritime industry stakeholders.

The incident followed other attacks and threats involving tankers in the waterway. Unidentified projectiles struck two oil tankers overnight from Monday into Tuesday, according to Greek maritime risk management firm Marisks. Iran's Revolutionary Guard later said two tankers caught fire after hitting mines. The vessels had loaded two million barrels of crude at Juaymah on Saudi Arabia's east coast the previous week, according to Kpler data.

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Bahri confirms that its vessel SIDR was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz

Before the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28, the strait carried about 20% of the world's oil. Another Bahri vessel, the Wedyan supertanker, was hit near Oman's coast in July. Two other Bahri vessels, Masa and Amzan, were attacked in the Red Sea in July and August after Yemen's Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

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Bahri remains in continuous contact with the vessel and is coordinating closely with the relevant authorities and maritime industry stakeholders, while continuing to closely monitor developments